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Hekkia
Hekkia, officially the Gurudom of Hekkia '(Eastonian: ''Gurudömet Hekkien, Therionese: Gurutum Hekkien), is a constituent state of the South Severian Confederation, a political union with their eastern neighbors in Therion. Colonization of the region was first conceptualized in the latter days of New Iotania within the scope of Project Utopia, a top secret joint mission of the Eastonian and Reuselerrian governments. Hekkia was planned to bring out the best of Eastonian society as a tool to analyze and improve the socio-economic and political circumstances at home, but by the time the first colonists arrived at Akzeleå in 1 BCE they had lost contact with New Iotania and were left to their own devices. The new Hekkians cooperated closely with their Reuselerrian counterparts in Therion and in 2 CE they formed the South Severian Confederation, a loose political union uniting the two bourgeoning nations under one banner. There are plans to establish a central confederate government but these have not been implemented yet as the colonization of South Severia is still in its early stages. Etymology The name Hekkia comes from the Eastonian word hekki, which originated in New Gurrinean bricklayer slang meaning 'hello'. During the New Iotanian epoch, hekki and the phrase hekki tehere became universal greetings used in both formal and informal contexts aswell as between people of different nationalities and socio-political rank in the world. This connotation of comradeship and equality in one simple word was an inspiration when the Eastonian colonists in Akzeleå named the land they had settled - the land of hekki. History The first group of colonists sent by the Eastonians under the scope of Project Utopia were evacuated by air from Eastonia City and Zeresterport in late 2 BCE. While flying in over Haghole, their elytra immaterialized for reasons still unknown and a crash landing in the water brought them to the main island of Centralia. There they gathered wood and other basic resources before setting sail with their Reuselerrian companions to the designated Project Utopia colonization sites in the southwest. Contacting authorities in New Iotania for assistance was attempted over and over again without success and by the time they arrived in South Severia there had been no response for months. Leading the Eastonian side of the expedition was Westonian yoga teacher and fast fruit enthusiast Guru Zerestra who was soon accepted as the spiritual leader of a new Hekkian nation while a secular direct democratic council was established to govern the settlement of Akzeleå. Guru Zerestra had managed to keep morale high despite the conditions under which the colonists had arrived in Severia, but they soon fell victim to a mysterious sea creature armed with a powerful trident that struck their boat during a mission to collect kelp and forced the Guru to abandon it which lead to their untimely death. In honor of the first Guru of Hekkia, their subsequent successors have taken the name Zerestra upon their election. The Hekkians continued to cooperate closely with the Reuselerrian colonists who had settled to the east in Therion, although to a lesser extent than had been envisioned in Project Utopia, and in 2 CE they signed the Articles of Confederation which nominally united the two bourgeoning nations under one South Severian banner while Hekkia and Therion both retained a large degree of autonomy. In 8 CE, Hekkia reformed into a representative democracy as the Lagting building was finished in Akzeleå to house a legislative assembly. The Akzeleå List won a majority of seats in the first elections and Orkidéa Kaupmann became Hekkia's first Minister of State with a platform of transforming Akzeleå into a thriving city-state. Hekkia experienced rapid economic growth during these years and it didn't take more than a few years to go from using primitive stone tools to once again developing advanced diamond technology that had been lost in the migration from New Iotania. The 16 CE elections were preceded by protests against the inactivity of the Kaupmann government in the second half of her term, but despite this the Akzeleå List managed to win a majority of districts and Orkidéa Kaupmann was confirmed for a second term as Minister of State. This was a controversial result as the Peace and Love Party had otherwise won a plurality of votes in the state but only 8 of 24 districts. Government and politics Hekkia is a parliamentary republic based on Eastonian democratic traditions operating under a unique system of elective constitutional theocracy. The Guru of Hekkia is a ceremonial head of state who is elected for life by the voting public to serve as a spiritual guide for the nation and its main diplomatic representative abroad. It is however the Minister of State (Eastonian: Statsminister) who sets the political agenda in their capacity as head of government and they are elected by and responsible to the Lagting, Hekkia's legislative assembly with 24 elected members. Elections to the Lagting are conducted by transferable vote in 24 single-member districts where voters rank all candidates in their home district by preference and the winning candidate takes a seat in the assembly. As a South Severian state, Hekkia is also governed by the Articles of Confederation which serves as a confederate constitution outlining the nature of the political relationship between Hekkia and Therion aswell as certain basic rights and freedoms. Political parties Most representatives in the Lagting are affiliated with one of three factions, which function similarly to political parties but have no organizational framework outside parliament. Akzeleå List Leader: '''Orkidéa Kaupmann Those affiliated with the Akzeleå List believe developing a thriving urban core and harbor infrastructure in Akzeleå is key to establishing Hekkia as a nation in its own right and want to continue working on a coastal capital city to rival Viviensmund. While they see Therion as a great source of inspiration and favored trade partner, they are not very interested in the goings on of the world outside the South Severian Confederation and take an isolationist approach to matters of foreign affairs. When it comes to economic policy, the Akzeleå List favors an Eastonian-type mixed market economy with strong government oversight. They are neutral towards the current parliamentary form of government with a ceremonial Guru as head of state, and see no reason to change it. Peace and Love Party ''Leader:' Fredryk Paanz-Gurra The Peace and Love Party favors a decentralized communal economy and advocates for building a Hekkia that is more in sync with its natural surroundings. Rather than building a city-state in Akzeleå they want to prioritize expansion into the Hekkian Valley with a more suburban approach. The group holds the religious aspects of Peace and Love of more importance than any parties in the old motherland did, and believe building more parks, temples and meditation gardens will increase the quality of life by opening up spaces for serenity and reflection as a counterweight to hectic urban life. They support the current parliamentary form of government with a ceremonial Guru as head of state as they believe it provides a perfect balance between democratic government and stable leadership. Union of Miners and Merchants ''Leader: Mikke Nöjd'' The Union of Miners and Merchants has an agenda of exploration and industrial development, wanting to establish new trade relations with the outside world and gain access to new resources by exploring surrounding lands while also expanding the production capabilities of those already available at home such as wool, leather, minerals and crops. The Union also advocates for economic liberalism and wants to pursue open borders and free market policies. Constructing new buildings is considered less of a priority while linking Hekkia to Centralia and other centres of trade by way of nether is something they are pushing for. They oppose the current parliamentary form of government because they think the title of Guru should be abolished as a political office in favor of a more Eastonian system with the Minister of State as a secular head of state. Demographics Hekkia was settled by mostly ethnic Eastonian settlers, resulting in a more homogenous culture than that of the old motherland which was home to peoples of many nationalities. No official census has been carried out yet, but the Hekkian population is estimated to be around 1,000 individuals. Religion Under Project Utopia, the Eastonian government cooperated with a multitude of religious communities, from pure Peace and Love worshippers to Zerestianists and the Church of Nether-Day Saints, which has left its mark on Hekkian society in the form of a more spiritual populace but also a lesser emphasis on religious doctrine as these different groups were forced to build a new society together in the face of great adversity following the loss of contact wih New Iotania. Not all colonists had a religious background however, a notable example being Guru Zerestra I who was a self-declared agnostic and not a member of any organized congregation. Languages Hekkia has two official languages which are both carried over from New Iotania, the Eastonian and Iotanian languages. Eastonian is the primary national language and the native tongue of most Hekkians while Iotanian is an important trade language and used to facilitate communication with neighboring peoples. The Therionese language holds special minority status as the official language of another South Severian state and the government is required by the Articles of Confederation to provide certain basic services in Therionese to residents who request it in their contact with government institutions. Flag The state flag of Hekkia is known as the Pink Ensign and features a pink field with the Eastonian cross flag in the canton (upper hoist quarter). The color pink is generally taken to symbolize the unity of Peace and Love as a simplification of the traditional rainbow banner, but it is not known why it was chosen in the first place. Some hold that it was Guru Zerestra I who had a vision of a pink banner flying over the Black Kelp Bay, while others think it was originally a red flag that simply faded over time.Category:Severia